Hello CDR, I've owned five full-sized Kimbers over a period of several years. Four of the five worked from day one. One had an easily correctable issue. I wouldn't know how to predict that any partucular gun would work flawlessly, but the four Target IIs I've had worked 100% for me. I still have one Kimber, a Target II in 9MM, that has performed flawlessly since day one...

The only one I've owned was a Tactical Custom II (5" barrel). I sold it last week for financial reasons, but in shooting 1300 rounds through it (various weights & manufacturers, including +P) I never had any problems. It was my primary carry gun for 2 years. The only malfunctions were 2 or 3 in the first 200 rounds (break in period). Also, I had a 10 round Wilson Combat mag that often induced feeding problems. When sticking to standard 8-round Wilson Combat mags or 8-round KimPro Tac mags it worked flawlessly.

Kimber sells their most reliable models under a different name. They call them Springfields.

yeah cause we all know third world ****holes like brazil produce the best gunsmiths.

__________________
"Our situation illustrates the American idea that governments rest on the consent of the governed, and that it is the right of the people to alter or abolish them whenever they become destructive of the ends for which they were established."

All were great 1911s except the UCII which was a horrid POS, worst 1911 I have ever owned. That being said I still think Kimber builds a fine 1911 and would think the TLE II is one of the best "bang for the buck" 1911s out there. I do not currently own any Kimbers but would buy one again without a second thought.

Howdy- Have a Stainless Target II in 9mm- this one even feeds 9mm rounds from a few 38 Super mags I still have around. Trigger pull was easily adjusted to just under 4 pounds. Except for a PLASTIC mainspring housing (NOT what I'd expect on a gun costing this much, but what do I know after shooting since the 1970's ) and those all the mass production rage MIM internals, it IS reliable with a huge variety of 9mm rounds.

Well, we all know the best gunsmiths live in New York,the most gun loving state in the country.

at least it is still a state here in the US. Keep sending your money to brazil if you want to. I could care less, but dont knock kimbers while carrying a south american springer.

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"Our situation illustrates the American idea that governments rest on the consent of the governed, and that it is the right of the people to alter or abolish them whenever they become destructive of the ends for which they were established."

While Kimber does build some very good looking guns a significant number of their recent production has been troubled. Go check out the Kimber sub-forum at 1911.com and see for yourself. If you absolutely have your heart set on a Kimber then I would stick to a full size (5") gun because those have fewer issues regardless of manufacturer. I would also follow the Kimber break-in instructions to the letter keeping the gun well lubricated and shooting 300-500 rounds of 230g FMJ through it before you fully trust the gun. Kimber builds very tight fitting guns and although the word "custom" appears in the name of their models they are anything but. The slide to frame fit is not hand lapped as it would be if it were a true custom. The break-in Kimber suggests helps the slide to frame fit. Finally, I would also consider purchasing Kimber Kim Pro or Wilson Combat magazines as the stock Kimber magazines aren't very high quality and in some cases are the source of the issues.

Now all that being said I would also consider other 1911 makers who are putting out better products at the moment. One such offering is the Range Officer from Springfield Armory. These are one of the best value 1911's on the market right now for under 1K. They are exceptionally accurate and most will run well straight out of the box. Springfield Armory left off some features to keep the price reasonable. For instance there is no checkering on the front strap and the front sight is plain black which of course can be changed to a fiber optic or tritium site quite easily if you prefer. If you want something with a few more features straight from the box then I'd suggest the Springfield TRP which features front strap checkering, an ambi-safety, night sights and an upgraded finish. This model will set you back about 1.5K. While it's true that Springfield Armory has many of their 1911 models produced by Imbel in Brazil, both the Range Officer and TRP are made in the USA.

+1 on the Wilson mags, not a fan of the Kimber ones. That said, my Warrior has been a great gun, and my Pro CDP II is my EDC gun. No problems to speak of.

__________________
"The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions."
-Daniel Webster
"A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have."

at least it is still a state here in the US. Keep sending your money to brazil if you want to. I could care less, but dont knock kimbers while carrying a south american springer.

My experience with Kimber was horrible. Their American service sucked. The gun was a pos out of the box and when I got it back (after 6 weeks) from repair.
My Springfield TGO1 is a better 1911 than ANYTHING Kimber makes. Springfields service is also in another class. Not only is their service faster and personal, they went so far as to recommend and get Wilson parts for my application. Try that with Kimber.

My experience with Kimber was horrible. Their American service sucked. The gun was a pos out of the box and when I got it back (after 6 weeks) from repair.
My Springfield TGO1 is a better 1911 than ANYTHING Kimber makes. Springfields service is also in another class. Not only is their service faster and personal, they went so far as to recommend and get Wilson parts for my application. Try that with Kimber.

You, too? My Taurus PT1911 is a far better pistol than my Kimber was. Of course, I had no experience at all with Taurus' customer service, but I had a lot of experience with Kimber's, and will never own another Kimber.

A Raptor Pro was my first NEW Kimber. I had problems with it and developed this patented method for breaking in new Kimber 1911's.

Its patented so don't tell anyone.

Disassemble and coat the rails and the slide with cheap white colgate toothpaste. Reassemble and cycle the action 200 times or until the toothpaste gets grey and sludgy.

Clean, recoat, 200 more cycles, clean thoroughly and lubricate. You will see, especially on blues guns or coated guns, areas that are shiny or at least where the coating has worn away. These are the high spots they want you to wear down with 300 rds of break in ammo.

I just did it to my new Gold Combat and shot 200 rds of reloads with no issues.

Remember its patented so keep it to yourself.......

My TLE II SS is one of my favorites

I shoot Kim Pro mags exclusively in my Kimbers.

__________________"If you let a man keep his dignity, you can kick him in the balls and he'll wash your car"